Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships. [Gulliver's Travels].

SWIFT, Jonathan (1667-1745).

London: Printed for Benj. Motte, at the Middle Temple-Gate in Fleet Street, 1726. [Classic Literature / Satire] FIRST EDITION, Teerink's AA issue. Four parts complete in two volumes. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[2] xii; 148, pp. [6] 164 [2]; pp.[8] 154 [8] 199 [3]. Complete with six engraved plates, and an engraved frontispiece portrait of Gulliver to volume I (state 2a) with a tissue guard. The general title page to volume II does not say 'The Second Edition', but the special title page to part IV shows 'Voyage' with lower-case letters. Misprint of 'subsidues' for 'subsidies' to p.35, line 5 of volume I. p.74 to volume II not misnumbered. Rebound in the early twentieth-century full maroon crushed morocco by BIRDSALL of Northampton, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spines, and elaborate panelled decoration in gilt to boards. All edges gilt, with gilt tooling to turn-ins over plain endpapers. Black ink ownership of Charles E. Reiche to flyleaf of each volume, dated December 1943. A professional paper repair to margin of p.15/16 of volume I. A crisp, clean copy, with occasional patches of light toning. Light wear to bindings, including some rubbing to joints. Near fine. Both a satire on human nature and a parody of the "travellers' tales" literary sub-genre, this is Swift's best known full-length work, and a classic of English literature. The book became tremendously popular as soon as it was published (John Gay said in a 1726 letter to Swift that "it is universally read, from the cabinet council to the nursery"), and it is likely that it has never been out of print since then. The book presents itself as a simple traveller's narrative with the disingenuous title Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, its authorship assigned only to "Lemuel Gulliver, first a surgeon, then a captain of several ships". Different editions contain different versions of the prefatory material which are basically the same as forewords in modern books. The book proper then is divided into four parts. Item #61932

SCOUTEN, Arthur H., and TEERINK, Dr. H., 'A Bibliography of the Writings of Jonthan Swift' (Philadelphia 1963), 290; p.197.

Price: £7,500.00